


Forever

by SkiaWolf



Category: Tales of Zestiria
Genre: Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Anniversary, Fluff, M/M, Marriage Proposal, Romance, Romantic Fluff, Valentine's Day, Valentine's Day Fluff
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-02-14
Updated: 2017-02-14
Packaged: 2018-09-24 11:37:36
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,665
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/9722675
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/SkiaWolf/pseuds/SkiaWolf
Summary: To celebrate their anniversary, Sorey and Mikleo visit the aquarium in which they had their first date. Mikleo, of course, has no clue of what exactly this visit would lead to.





	

**Author's Note:**

> So here's my second fic for Valentine's Day! Shorter than my other one, but I enjoyed writing it. It's actually set on the 18th; I just wanted to upload it today.
> 
> This is a sequel to 'Wedding Samples' - this is likely enjoyable on its own, but you'll understand the mentioning of the first one more if you read it first. 
> 
> Enjoy!

Violet eyes followed a small yellow fish darting back and to through perfectly clear and clean water, before it finally joined its kind in swimming towards the left of the tank they were in. Dozens of bubbles were floating above them, past a beautifully shining light cast down from the top of the tank. Silently, the same pair of eyes averted to yet another family of fish swimming together. They took in each fin, scale and eye.

It didn't matter how many times Sorey and Mikleo came here. It always resulted in the same mesmerised gaze from Mikleo, who had always deeply appreciated the beauty of life underwater. Sorey could appreciate this too, but to him, the beauty didn't quite match the shining eyes of Mikleo, a bright, joyful smile rarely away from his face. It was through their visits that Sorey could take moments to watch the man he had fallen for, only occasionally meeting his gaze due to how distracted and in awe Mikleo became.

Today was the 18th of February. It was like their own personal Valentine's Day, because this day held something more special than a public holiday; their anniversary.

Three years ago, they had their first date in this very aquarium. The reason for said date wasn't exactly one of the typical romantic stories which are usually told. Around a week before Valentine's Day, Mikleo noticed a sign about free wedding cake samples for engaged couples. It was Sorey's - both stupid and also rather brilliant - idea to pretend they were engaged for said samples. Following this, Mikleo blurted out how he wouldn't say no to a first date in the aquarium, just like Sorey had told in his created story, and they went on from there. Considering they had been happily together since the end of this date, clearly it was more than just a silly idea which Sorey had came up with. It was something which had led to the most joy they had felt in years.

They _had_ gone through a tough moment of their relationship when the pressures of their final year at university began to weigh down on them, but they pulled through and graduated with the degrees they had dreamed of in History. The troubles that they faced seemed incredibly minor after it was all over.

“Three years,” Sorey ended up saying when he was thinking this to himself. Mikleo looked up.

“Three years,” he echoed, smiling. Despite the fact that he had seemingly been distracted, Sorey's voice always seemed to bring him back to reality.

“I still don't know I got so lucky, you know. I mean, we were friends for years. I didn't know that we would have it develop into something more.”

“We're a cliché love story up until _how_ we got together.”

Sorey laughed. “That's true. I know you're distracted by dozens of wonderful fish, but come here a second.”

Mikleo rolled his eyes jokingly, but stood up regardless. “What?”

“I just really want to kiss you.” He bent down to do so, one hand holding Mikleo's, the other cupping his face. The kiss was gentle, brushing against Mikleo's lips as though they were the most precious thing in existence, as fragile as glass. Perhaps they were.

Mikleo's hand was still held in Sorey's after they broke apart. Sorey planted a kiss on it, before he grinned and stretched out his fingers. With a small sigh, Mikleo stretched his own so that their palms were pressed against each other.

“We're getting too old to compare this. We're not even growing any more.”

“Well, you're definitely not, but I still could be.” He laughed at Mikleo's pout at that statement, before his expression grew softer as his eyes landed on their hands; one larger, the other smaller with more slender fingers. “Still tiny.”

“I'm _not_ tiny. I'm just a bit below average.”

“'A bit'… Hey, don't dig your elbow into me like that; you know that I love your height!”

“I suppose I do. Am I ever going to have my hand back, or is it just going to be yours forever?”

“Well, you're already mine forever, so your hand is too, isn't it?”

“Cheesy.”

“I'm trying to be romantic.”

“I know. Please continue, I'm loving it.”

“We've just been through so much together, you know? Friends since we could first walk, going through all of school together, university, fake engagements… I honestly can't imagine my life without you.”

“I'm the same. You're such a huge part of my life that I think it would be completely… Different, without you. I don't like to think about what that would be like.”

“Exactly! Losing you would be like losing part of myself. It's just _everything_ about you. Your sarcasm, your sweetness, loyalty… Plus, you're cute. I mean, I've scored big time! Really though...” He stroked his thumb across Mikleo's hand softly. “Thank you for being in my life. Everyone calls me positive – Hell, some people even say I'm a 'ray of sunshine', whatever that means. But I don't think I would be like that without you.”

“You're acting a lot more serious than you have done before on our anniversary,” Mikleo said, trying, but also failing, to hide how emotional the words made him feel. “I'm half-expecting you to propose… I'm joking though, obviously.”

“Are you?”

Mikleo tilted his head slightly in mild confusion. “Why are you...”

His words drifted off when his hand was released. His eyes widened as they watched Sorey steadily drop down to one knee, hands reaching for his pocket.

“Oh my God,” Mikleo said in the most quiet voice, barely making a sound at all as his hands, trembling slightly, clasped over his mouth. He could feel tears welling up in his eyes, something which he rarely allowed to happen in other people's presence. But this was different; _entirely_ different.

And when Sorey pulled out a black box, opening the lid to reveal a ring inside, Mikleo thought that these tears would be impossible to hold back.

It wasn't just a regular engagement ring. It was gold with a beautiful green stone placed in the centre, a combination that reminded him of home. It was the exact combination of the necklace he permanently wore around his neck, tucked under his shirt; the necklace which had belonged to his mother before she passed away years ago. Sorey knew this.

“Will you marry me, Mikleo?” he asked, a welcoming, joyful smile on his face, the eyes which Mikleo adored more than anything shining bright.

He was so overwhelmed that for a moment, Mikleo could only nod his head, arms wiping away the falling tears from his face.

“Yes, of course,” he managed to say in between his deep breaths from his crying. “Of course I will, Sorey.”

He still kept his right hand to his face, but held out his left to Sorey. The ring was slid slowly onto his finger, a light kiss pressed against it before Sorey stood. He caught Mikleo into his arms when the other practically jumped into them, letting out a joyful laugh before their lips met again. This time, it was deeper and more passionate, but was soon interrupted by the sound of clapping from a few people around them. They hadn't seemed to be there at all, existing in a different world entirely than their own.

“What happened?”

“A marriage proposal.”

“Oh, how sweet!”

“I feel like I'm in a movie,” Mikleo laughed, wiping away the last of his tears.

“Well it _is_ a Saturday at a popular aquarium. Maybe I should have picked somewhere more private...”

“No, this was perfect. It's the place we became a couple and the place I love the most, especially now...” His words drifted off as he looked at his ring again. “I think I might cry again.”

“You _never_ cry in front of other people.”

“You're worth crying over. In a good way, naturally.” He wrapped his arms around Sorey's neck, head burying into his shoulder. His smile grew at the feel of arms around his waist, returning the hug. “I've wanted this ever since we moved in together after university.”

“Really?”

“Yeah.”

“Me too. I just wanted to save it for the right moment.”

Both were reluctant to eventually let go of each other, but they would have countless times to embrace in the future. Sorey held out his hand to Mikleo.

“Come on, there's still more you haven't seen… Well, today, at least.”

“Don't you mean _we?”_

“Well, yeah, but I like watching you as well… I swear I don't mean that creepily.”

Mikleo laughed, taking Sorey's hand. “Of course.”

“We'll have to thank Lailah again,” he said suddenly. He chuckled at the memory of them returning to her soon after getting together, apologetically telling her the truth about what they did, how it did in fact bring them together and how they would pay for the samples they shouldn't have been given. “After all, she _did_ help us get together, and I think she'd appreciate being invited to our _real_ wedding.”

“I agree. And don't forget how the others will react, too.”

“Maybe it won't be as quiet as you had said you wanted it to be.”

“Anything's fine with me,” Mikleo smiled. “It's you, after all.”

“Who's being cheesy, now?”

“Shut up! I'm trying to be cute.”

“You don't have to try, but whatever.”

Mikleo rolled his eyes – somehow fondly. “Living with this for the rest of my life… How will I cope?”

“Uh… Very well, whilst constantly bursting with happiness and and loving me forever?"

“Definitely.”

Though the ring marked their lives together and was the start of something new, they simultaneously would stay the same as they always had. They were two amazing people on their own, but were two halves to something greater, joined together as one just as they had been since they met.

Embodiments of love, no matter how they were brought together as a couple.

**Author's Note:**

> Ahh, I've been writing so much fluff lately... Where has my angst gone? I'm giving myself cavities.
> 
> I hope you enjoyed it! I have also drawn a three-panel comic to go with this; feel free to check it out on my social medias! Skia Visuals (FB & DA), skia-visuals (Tumblr) and skia_visuals (Instagram).
> 
> Thank you for reading!


End file.
